RI Question

[ErikH]

I've been wondering......

Does anyone know if it is possible for a human to pass a respiratory infection to a snake? My stepson had a cold last week and I decided that there would be no snake handling until everyone was healthy. Was I overreacting?

[jglass38]

Not possible...Most diseases can't be spread from animal to human or human to animal with some exceptions (and I don't know all of the possibilities). Some parasites for sure, salmonella among others

[ErikH]

O.K. I know that most animal illnesses (with the exception of some strains of Asian Bird Flu) cannot be transmitted directly to humans, but seeing as how snakes are vulnerable to ri's I just wondered if the converse was possible.

[tigerlily]

Plus remember there is a difference between bird flu and reptile RIs. One is passing a virus among warm blooded animals, whereas the other would have to be passed from a warm blooded one to a cold blooded one. I wouldn't worry about you giving your snake a cold at all!